Game apparatus



GAME APPARATUS Filed Aug. 25, 1927 IN MENTOR cmann's WIESSES M/Ir J Roam/s M'TOIRNEY Patented ept, 3.5, if d,

MAY 3' ROBINSQOF KATONAH, NEW YORK.

GAME nrrnisa'rns.

Application filed August 25, 1927. fierial No. 215,417.

The present invention is concerned with i the provision ofa game apparatus which may pared case when not in use, and a game apparatus which will be rugged, and durable un der the rough usage to which it may be subjected by comparatively young children.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an apparatus of this cha 'acter which is well suited to the requirements'of economical manufacture and convenient storage and shipping. I 1

With the above noted and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter set forth'and pointed out in the claims. The invention may be more fully understood from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawi1'1gs,wherein- Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the apparatus casing and the apparatus housed therein, a portion of the cover being broken away for the sake of clearness.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken approximately on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, the dotted lines indicating the position of the cover when used for a wordrack.

llip: 3 is a somewhat diagrammatic view illustrating a single letter from each of the individually identified alphabet sets, and

i with the letters, penalty discs, which are sim1- larly identified.

Fig. t is a plan view of a score card used in connection with the game.

lFig 5 is a plan view of a spinner used in connection with the gan'ie.

The apparatus includesa number of sets of alphabet tiles orblocks 10, each set being arranged in a suitable case, and each set being distinctively identified, preferably by the use of individual colors painted on the ends of the. tiles. With each set of tiles there is associated a set of similarly colored penalty discs 11. Tn Fig. 3 T have shown one tile and one penalty disc from each set, these members being colored red, yellow, blue and green respectively. Inasmuch however, as the container or casing for each set of tiles and penalty disc-s is the same, I have for the sake of simplicity, illustrated one of such containers with the alphabet members used therein.

The container is of box-like formation, including a bottom 13, a relatively high back wall 14, and low front wall 15, the ends of the box being closed by end walls 16 preferably of the same height as the back wall 14:. The box is provided with a cover 17 including a relatively deep front flange 18 to overlap the low front wall, and a relatively narrow rear flange 19 overlapping the high rear wall 14 of the box. The end flanges 20 of the cover preferably are provided with inclined lower,

edges, so that when thecover is removed from the box and rests on the flanges, it will be disposed in the tilted or inclined position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. Preferably, the flange 19 as well as the end flanges 20 project above the surface of the cover, defining ribs, which with longitudinally extending ribs 21 on the outer surface of the box, pro- 3 vide three word racks in which the wordforming letters may be disposed when the cover is in the dotted line position of Fig. 2.

Tnteriorly, the low wall 15 is preferably in tegral with an inclined letter rack 22, formed by cutting away the solid wall forming block 15 and recessing the block at 23 to receive the lower ends of the letters which lean against the inclined rack Midway between the letter rack 22 and the rear wall it of the box, there is provideda longitudinally extending partition 2% terminating short of one end of the box in order to accommodate a tray or open container 25 carrying a number of capital letter tiles 10. The tiles 10 are of the lower case type.

When the tray 25 is removed, the tiles 10 may be conveniently slid out of the ends of their racks due to the cut away section of the partition 24.

The box 25 is of proper size to fit snugly between the end of the partition 24; and the three adjacent walls of the box. Preferably, the combined front wall and letter rack 15, 22 at one end is integral with a block 26 provided with a vertical cylinder 27, the walls of which are open at the front of the box in .whichhavebeen practically tested, and

proven both interesting and amusing.

GAME I.

.- Method of la 1. Mix'up the alphabets so that the vowels are well distributed among the consonants, place the tiles face down. in piles of six on the rear section of the alphabet tray.

e); gins.

p from theletters left on the rack,

' other. players.

the misspelt Word.

2. Draw. any fifteen tilesyput them on the letter rack and see how many words you can form.

9 .Spin the dial; the highest number be 4. For example, if red gets the highest number he begins, by pronouncing his word out loud, spelllng it, and placing the letters 'whichform the word, 011 the cover of histray.

The word must be placed so. that it faces the 5. For example, the word may be drink, player will say, drink, d, r, i, n, k, and put the letters on his word rack, (which is the cover of his alphabet tray).

6. Now the next color to the right plays his word, and thegame proceeds from right to left. Iv

When the player cannot form words he may spin the dial by the arrow andproceed with the game.

8. Spinningthe dial, counts one turn, the other players should not be expected to wait.

lVhen the letters drawn do not help to form words, the playerzmay spin the dial again when his turn comes. r

If the dial has been spun several timesand the player has fifteen tiles from which he cannotform any words, he must say, I pass,

:every time his turn comes until the end of the round.

This is not likely to happen if the vowels are well distributedamong the consonants.

Note-All letters should "be well mixed up after every round.

9. A word-misspeltis challenged by the players. 7 y The letters of that word are then withdrawn and returned to the letter ack, the playerplaces a penalty disc, in place of 7 hen there is a doubt, consult the dictionary after the round.

10. hen aplayer spins and the arrow points to his own color on the dial; he may take the number of letters indicated take his turn, fill in his words, and play them, and clear his rack of all the letters left over. This play ends the round and the score is taken. This player gets ten extra points for clearing his rack.

NoteThis play is only in force after any one player has four words to his credit in the round.

11. If no player has been able to clear his rack, by getting his own color on the dial, then the first one, to play the fifth word ends the round. This player does not get ten points however.

At the end of each round count your points and enter on the score pad.

N0 player may repeat a word that is already on the rack of another player.

Words of one syllable count five points. lVerds of more syllables count live points for each syllable. A inisspelt word imposes a penalty of five'points.

GAME II.

Use box of capitals also for proper nouns.

The object of this game is for all players to concentrate on the spelling of the same word; each one adding one letter in his turn to form the desired word. Each letter counts one point when the score is taken at the end of a round.

1. The first player may think of the word, lilac. HI-Ie places letter l on the table saying a flower. The rest of the players, if they have the same word in mind, will add, each in his turn after the l, the i, l, a, c.

2-. The play might however develop as follows: The first player starts as above, playing his 1, and saying, a flower, the second player, thinking of lupin, may add the u, instead of i for lilac. The rest of the players must then follow the lead of the second player.

3. e now have l, u, on the table and the play is up to the third play-er. If he can think of no flower beginning with l, n, he may say, I pass. The succeeding players may either say, I pass, or knowing the name of any flower beginning with in, may add the correct letters, each in his turn until the letters, l, u, p, i, n. are on the table.

4. IV hen three players say I pass, it is up to the one who knows the word to finish spelling it, by adding all the letters from his own color.

Noterlny player who finishes a word by himself gets ten extra points when the score is taken. I

5. lVhen a wrong letter is played, the

player next in turn does not challenge at this time, but saysll pas-s, each player in turn saying, I pass. Now it is up to the player who put out what seems to be the wrong letter, to finish the word by himself.

Either he spells correctly, a word which none of the others thought of, or, the word inquestion is actually misspelt. This is the time to challenge.

Notc ltefer to the dictionary to clear up any point of doubt.

t5. misspelt word, means a penalty of flve points. The player must remove his letters and put a penalty disc on the table in place of the word. Thcothcr players take back their letters also, and get a creditof five points for their loss in that word;

'Z. The game then continues, but that word is not again played in this round.

8. When five words have been played, the

' round is ended andthe scoreis entered on tifi the pad.

9. The scorei Collect all the letters of your color from the table, count them, allowing one point for each letter. Let us say the red color collects twelve letters. His .score for that round would be entered on the score pad under red as follows:

Red

Extra credits For finishing a word--- 10 5 Compensation for loss described in N o. 6.

points Penalties are written below the line.

The goal forthis game is fifty points, or the players may agree to play four rounds of the game and see who gets the highest score.

In adding final score, deduct total penalties from total points. l lote When two players have the same score, the one having no penalties is declared winner.

Suggestions.

GAME Ill.

1. This game is a form of solitaire.

The alphabet is arranged as shown in Part Ill. This time, however, the tiles are face down.

2. Learn to locate the position of eachlet- 4. For example, try these words which are easily found: ace, cab, bad, face. Keep on trying for words with letters more in the center ofthe tray, until you are able to pick any letter in the alphabet.

Obviously, various changes and alterations might bemade in the general form and arrangement of the parts described without departing from the invention. Hencell do not Wish to limit myself to the details set forth, but shall consider myself at liberty to make I such changes and, alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A game apparatus including abox and a flanged cover, the box including a low forward wall and the cover including a deep flange at the forward side to overlap said wall and to cause the cover when removed, to rest in inclined position, the cover flanges extending upwardly above the cover edges and cooperating with longitudinally extend ing ribs on the cover to form wordracks.

2. A game apparatus including a box and a flanged cover, the box including a low forward wall and the cover including a deep flange at the forward side to overlap said wall and to cause the cover when removed, to

rest in inclined position.

3. A game apparatus including a box and a flanged cover, the box including a low forward wall and the cover including a deep flange at the forward side to overlap said wall and to cause the cover when removed to rest in inclined position, the box including a partition cooperating with the box walls to define storage compartments in which alphabet tiles are arranged.

42. A game apparatus including a box and a flanged cover, the box; including a low forward wall and the cover including a deep flange at the forward side to overlap said wall and to cause the cover when removed to rest in inclined position, the box including a partition cooperating with the box walls to define storage compartments in which alphabet tiies are arranged, the cover flanges extending upwardly above the cover edges and cooperating with longitudinally extending ribs on the coverto form word racks.

5. A game apparatus including a box and a flanged cover, the box including a low forward wall and the cover including a deep flange at the forward side to overlap said [iii wall and toicause the cover when removed to rest in inclined position, the box including a partition cooperating with the box walls to define storage compartments n which alpha- "bet tiles are arranged, the low forward wall ward wall and the cover including a deep flange at the forward side to overlap said wall and to cause the cover when removed to rest in inclined position, the box including a partition cooperating with the box walls to define storage compartments in which alphabet tiles are arranged, the low forward wall of the box being relatively thick and formed wlth an inclined face serving as a letterraclnsaid wall being grooved to re vceive the lower ends of alphabet tiles resting on the letter rack.-

7. A game apparatus including a box and a flanged cover, the box includinga low forward wall and the cover including a deep flange at the forward side to overlap said Wall and to cause the cover when removed to rest in inclined position, the box including a partition cooperating with the box walls to define storage compartments in which alphabettilesare arranged, the partition terminatine short of oneend, of the box whereby the tiles may be slid out of the compartments to permit convenient manual removal from the box. 7 ,7

memes;

'8. A game apparatus including a box and a flanged cover, the box including a low forward wall and the cover including a deep flange at the forward side to overlap said wall and to cause the cover when removed to rest in inclined position, the box including a partition cooperating with the box walls to define storage compartments in which alphabet tiles are arranged. the low forward wall of the box being relatively thick and formed with an inclined face serving as a letter rack, and said wall at one end having a vertical cylindrical open-sided pocket therein to receive and expose a stack of scormg discs.

9. A game apparatus including a box and a flanged cover, the box inehiidingr a low forward wall and the cover including a deep flange at the forward side to overlap said wall and to cause the cover when removed to rest in inclined position, the box including a partition cooperating with the box walls to define storage compartments in which alphabet tiles are arranged, the partition terminating short of one end of the box, whereby the tiles may be slid out of the compartments to permit convenient manual removal from the box, and a box ot playing pieces normally fittingin the space beyond, the end of the partition *all.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 23rd day of August, A. D. 1927.

MAY J. ROBINS. 

